Where Are We Now?
by Archangel975
Summary: I have this... feeling. It tells me that I was born to do something great. It says that my destiny would be the one where the entirety of the universe helps me. But... I don't know what I'm meant to do... I don't know who I am, I can't remember anything about me. I'm just... alone, in this land, with no memories. What does one do then? Search for answers, or start life anew...?


**A/N: Hey there! I'm writing this instead of Chapter 8 for ****Project New Leaf ****because I can NOT think of a way to write that chapter. I felt like writing something chill or action-y. So I came up with this story on the spot. Like, I had the title made up; I just didn't have a plot for it. Now I do, and here we are. Enjoy!**

Chapter 1

_White. Just… White, as far as I can see... Where am I?_

… _Am I even here…? I don't feel anything. No breeze, no… heartbeat. Nothing. Except white. _

… _Am I not breathing? … I'm not… _

_Where am I? Ah, gods, where am I…?_

… _Wait. I hear something. It sounds like… a sigh… Yes, a distant sigh, but it's there._

_Goodness, is it getting closer? … It is. Something's flying over me, perhaps?_

… _It's right on me... Airy, intangible, but it's so close._

_The sound is more like a sharp intake of breath now. … This is awful… I feel… at peace._

_But not a content peace. I feel the kind of peace that infects those behind a barricade, not the kind of peace that comes after the barricades are torn down._

_Oh, gods…_

"Ah!" I gasped. The wall of white transitioned to a forest in a wink. Memories and flashes of pictures played in my head; I saw visions of food and reading and resources and creations. I saw how to mine and smelt, how to construct tools and clothes and armor. I remembered all of this, but I don't recall living these memories… I do recall one thing. I want to be a hero. One that the bards sing songs about, one that is adored far and wide. That picture was so crisp and vivid…

Something in my mind called to me:

_**Get to work. Go survive, because you're in danger. Get moving. Now, Serra.**_

That's my name…?

_I like it,_ I thought fondly. _It sounds really cute!_

_**Gods, Serra!**_ my mind screamed. _**You have to move, now. Let us get going.**_

I began to stumble toward a nearby tree. My arms and legs ached, as if I slept on them wrong. I don't remember falling asleep here, though…

… Where am I, again? This is so _frustrating_. I surveyed the immediate area; the sun shone brilliantly to the east, so it was morning. Uhh… I'm in a forest. The trees are rather low, and each one has a generous amount of space between them. I know they could be closer. I can see threats from quite a distance, at least. I looked down at myself. My hair hung past my shoulders, I can feel it. It was absurdly soft and somewhat curly… How curious. Surely it would've been messed up from my slumber here… Regardless, it was a snowy blonde color, lovely to look at in my opinion. I was wearing a clean, brilliant white dress jacket, a rather short mini-skirt of the same shade, and matching knee-high boots.

I recalled having to punch the tree to collect the wood. I sized up the oaken trunk towering in front of me. It looked absurdly sturdy, and the bark was rigid, and looked as if it will hurt if I hit it.

Reluctance crept up on me. But the angry voice in my head beat it back.

I slugged it. The blow would've made a human recoil in pain. Cracks formed in the wood, strangely enough. It wasn't nearly as solid as I thought. I punched it once more in the same spot, and a section of the trunk exploded off, the debris instantly forming a perfect cube rotating on the grass.

_Okay. Two punches for a piece of wood._

I hit the rest of the tree into those floating blocks. I saw a flash of an image of where everything was kept. A knapsack that was tucked in the small of my back. How incredibly convenient!

I'm assuming I just… collect wood? No… there's something else. … Ugh, what is it?

… Oh shit. I should get some food.

"_Moo!_"

That's a cow, right? Cows have food? Where in the world is it…? I scanned the area to my left, and pinpointed the source of the cry. That… That… That thing looks disgusting. I DON'T want to eat it… Like, there's a... I don't even know what that is. It's hanging in around it's stomach. Gods, it looks ridiculous... I approached it. … I'm not entirely sure how this thing will provide nourishment. I don't even know which parts to eat!

"Uh… Hi there, cow. I need you to relax, okay?" The cow only stared at me. Its eyes said nothing. I guess it's just a mindless beast. "Okay… Okay… Shh…" I wrapped my hands around its head. It didn't mind, I'm sure. "… Do you know who the devil is?" The animal simply looked past me into the distance. "… 'Cause that's who you'll be talking to in a second!" I took hold of the cow's neck and snapped it with a spinning motion. The beast cried out, then fell over anticlimactically, poofing out of existence and leaving behind large, red slabs of meat and two oddly shaped, skin-like objects. I scooped these items up, and a mental definition formed in my head.

_Raw steak. And leather._

That was easier than I would've imagined. It had such a cute face, what with those unfocused eyes and lazy nature. I feared that my hands would falter and the cow would suffer a slow death or flee my presence. My strength was… surprising. I don't know. I thought I'd be much weaker because my arms are somewhat slender. But the cow's neck was as easy to break as wet tissue paper, excuse my brutality…

"_Moooo!"_

Uh-oh, you shouldn't've said that, cow. But I promise you a swift end.

* * *

Ohh… My arms are a bit sore after my hunting trip. Gods, but I killed too many of them. Sheep, pigs, cows, I figured each of them had some useful resource. I've gathered a reasonable supply of meat. A sizeable surplus, actually. I could feed myself for a month or two. I found myself in a tiny meadow; an area free of trees with a mini pond and a few flowers.

I leaned against a tree, gradually collapsing to the grass. It's been a long day. Fun, yet confusing. I looked at the sun, and figured that I had less than an hour before the sun sets. What happens then…? I… don't actually remember…

_**Monsters will emerge and slay you.**_

_Uh, thanks, voice. That's comforting…_

_**Construct a home before night falls, and light the interior. **_

Responding would've been futile. As I was reaching over to collect a rose, I heard frantic footsteps getting louder and louder behind me. I turned, and saw a man, quite average in looks, charging at me with a sword in hand and a look of death in his eyes.

_Oh, gods! How…_

_**Focus, Serra. Use your supplies to parry his sword.**_

_He's going to kill me?!_

_**Of course he is. Look at his eyes.**_

There was no time to look. I took a glance, but I didn't study his eyes.

_I saw a kind of anger…_

_**He's on top of you. He will stab at your chest. Dodge to the left and disarm him.**_

I didn't like the stern voice in my head. I didn't need to listen to it, actually. My mind remembers the reflexes and moves only used in combat. I did end up diving to the side, easily avoiding the man's running stab. I took a firm hold of his wrist. Then I placed my left hand underneath his elbow, and shot my arm up. His arm bent in the opposite direction. He screeched in pain, a hint of fear dancing in his eyes. I gave us some distance. I was actually hoping he would, I don't know, keel over and die, or run away. He simply switched his sword to his left hand, his right arm now unusable due to the unbearably disgusting angle his elbow bent at. He rushed me again. I placed two blocks of wood in front of me, building a small tower. His charging attack lodged his weapon in the wood I've placed. The tip of his sword poked out from the other side, threatening me with its surprisingly sharp point. I rounded the tower swiftly, and tackled the man to the ground.

At this point, I had the edge, and he knew it. His eyes screamed at me, begging for mercy, but his body fought back. I grabbed his useless arm, and snapped the forearm in half. He howled once more, and swore at me. He began to hyperventilate, panicking because he knew his demise was literally right on top of him. I pushed myself off of him, and yanked his sword from the wood trunk. I placed a foot on his chest, and aimed the sword for his neck.

_**Do it.**_

I put my hand on the end of the sword, and pushed forward.

My strength surprised me. The sword pierced his throat so, so easily.

_Oh… Oh no… Forgive me…_

Blood began to flood from the corpse. Gods, I… it was too much. I felt sick, and twisted. I just killed this man, yet my action is justified.

_It was self-defense…_ I tried to reassure myself. But the guilt stayed with me like a disease.

_**Well done, Serra. Loot the body.**_

_Gods, no! That would be disrespectful._

_**He is dead. Search him.**_

_No. I won't._

_**So be it. Now build a shelter.**_

Ah, gods, I had so many questions… I created a crafting table, and began building with wooden planks around it. Blueprints and recipes formed in my head as I stared at my workbench, but I didn't bother crafting anything. I was still disheartened by my human kill.

_Who are you?_

_**I am you. Your mind.**_

_I feel as if I'm speaking to someone else…_

_**I am you.**_

… _Who was I?_

… _**What do you mean?**_

_What did I do before this? Before I awoke in this forest? Why am I here? Why do I remember so much, yet I can't recall doing anything? Why did that man try to kill me?_

… _**I… do not have answers for you. **_

_Who does?_

_**Something out there.**_

I wanted to make a sarcastic remark, like I did when I was a young teen, hanging out with my friends. I don't remember their faces. They're just… blurred heads laughing at my jokes. But then the reality of the situation hit me: I'm arguing with myself.

The Sun had crossed the sky, watching my progress. On a hunch, I turned to it. It was now an orange-red shade. Oh, it looked so lovely…

"Sun…? Can you hear me…? Who has the answers I'm seeking…?"

No response… Was I wrong then?

Gods, how foolish can I be? The Sun was unable to hear me, of course it was.

I spent the rest of the day forming an unremarkable shack. Night fell, and I rested safely in my new home. I remember this warm feeling. Enclosed comfortably in a safe house. Only I was with… Oh, what were they called…? Umm... Mommy and Daddy? Was it?

… Do I still have parents…? Where are they?

I nearly tugged my hair out from frustration. Why can't I remember the details!? Gods…!

Fussing about it won't do me any good… I guess I should just… sleep or something… This could be fun, for all I know. I vaguely remember what surviving was like: so full of life, pervaded with adventure and thrill. I know the soothing therapy of building intricate buildings, and the adrenaline rush of slaying foes.

I could get used to life. Hopefully.

* * *

The orange-pink color I saw from my closed eyes notified me that it was morning. I hopped out of bed, and thought to myself:

_I will survive. I must survive. This… feeling that gnaws at me, screams at me. It says that I must prevail, no matter the cost. But… Why? _

I need to build some things. I need… What do I need? Uhh… Armor is a good start. I collected a nice supply of those strange little leather pieces. I'm sure I could put them to good use. Okay… Okay. I just place the items on the crafting table and then they just kinda… pop into the thing I want. Smithing my armor was a trivial ordeal. The boots, leggings, and chest plate fit perfectly. If, you know, armor was supposed to hug your body. I didn't have enough leather to forge a helmet, though. And that's fine by me. My hair looks so _beautiful_, I don't want to ruin it. Okay, armor, now… Weapons. I have uh… some stone. I suppose a stone sword will do its job for now. … Nice. This thing is… a bit heavy, honestly. But that'll put some extra _oomph_ in my swings. Um… Some tools could be useful. Let's see here… Pickaxe… Shovel… That'll do, I guess.

I kicked the door open, took a few steps outside, and breathed deeply. The morning air was bracing. Cool and peaceful, it felt perfect. Ahh… I heard the waking cries of the various animals nearby, water streaming somewhere close to me, um… Wait. I heard… Snapping? More like bones clanking against each other.

"Ah, gods!-" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tall figure which seemed to be on fire. Then it shot something at me. My mysterious reflexes kicked in, and I ducked out of the way. I dove behind a tree, and peeked around the trunk to see my attacker.

… Huh?! That's a damn human skeleton! Gods, but how?!

It turned to where I had taken cover. I stared, awestruck and horrified. It fired off an arrow, which missed me by a lengthy margin, burying itself in the tree trunk. I stood upright, leaning completely against my cover. I was just so _scared_… I… I didn't know how to adapt to this situation.

_**Pick up the arrow and rush it with your sword. Close the distance swiftly.**_

The voice has been right so far. I have no reason to doubt it. I took a deep breath and charged the skeleton. I grabbed the arrow as I ran past the tree, holding it in a reverse grip in my left hand and my sword in my right. I jumped behind a tree without breaking my sprint to dodge another projectile. I ducked once more when I was right in front of it. I slashed horizontally with my sword, sending the skeleton reeling to the left. I raised my arrow high, and smashed it into its head. I then gripped my sword with both hands, brought it around to my left side, then swung with my entire body. The skeleton's skull shattered. It fell over onto its side, but it still miraculously survived. I leveled my weapon with my shoulders, and proceeded to deliver a swift stab to the cervix, severing the head from the skeleton's body.

_Voice? How do you know so much about combat? I don't._

_**I do not know who I am, Serra. But I do know that the better part of your memory is missing. I suppose I am the remnants of those memories.**_

_Oh… So you don't know who I am? _

_**No. I know about as much as you do. I… I can think of several fragments of your past, but those recollections won't help you.**_

_Well, why? Why haven't you told me?_

_**I am the only reason you know how to survive. I gave you the battle tactics, I gave you the sharp reflexes, and I gave you all the recipes and common sense you own. How else do you think you remember so much?**_

_But I don't remember "so much!" It's unbearably frustrating, not being able to recall anything about my past! It's so mysterious! So infuriatingly mysterious! Who am I, really?! Where am I, and why am I here?!_

… _Hello?_

I guess it's angry. The skeleton fizzled out of existence, but the damned creature didn't drop any loot. Um, so I have a house and tools. Am I supposed to do something during the second day? I imagine I could explore for a bit, see what treasures lay hidden.

Wandering, wandering. I wonder if this land has a name? No… No, I really shouldn't ask questions to myself. I'll just get irritated again…

… Heavens, is that a cave? … Yes it is! Mental note: a short walk north and in the base of the hill lies a sizeable cave entrance. I guess, in this world, caves are indicated by torches lighting up the interior. So there _must_ be civilization nearby! Oh, then I can get some answers! Yes!

… It seems as if someone's in there already. I dropped down into the cave, suddenly feeling sociable. I walked past more torches for only a short while until I heard the rhythmic clink of metal against stone. Someone's mining. _Yes._

I followed the torch trail down a winding, cramped space, finally spotting the source of the noise. Another man, back turned to me, breathing rather heavily. He appeared to be much older than myself, if my estimates were correct. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, and his drenched clothes were utterly stuck to his muscular figure. It wasn't as pretty as one would imagine. The darkness of the cave made the man look like a hideous being slaving around.

"Excuse me, sir?" I called out. He froze in mid-swing. "Uh… Sir?" I approached him, and tapped his shoulder. His head snapped around, and he looked me straight in the eyes. His eyes were wild with fear or hate, I really couldn't figure it out. But then he yelled something of a war cry and swung his pickaxe at my head. I jumped back, losing my balance in the surprise attack. He attempted another horizontal slash, but I tripped over myself, and the tool fell short of hitting me. He raised the pickaxe above his head, and forced it down. I pushed myself from the ground, throwing my legs over my head, which maneuvered me in some stylish backflip. I backed up, creating a good distance from the man. He obviously had no finesse, his swings were too undisciplined. He didn't appear to have any weapons… Was he afraid of me?

"Look, sir, I won't hurt you. I have no reason to." He just stared at me viciously with his dirty, ugly face. Uh… I'm nervous. Okay. Umm… I can't win in an actual fight, this dude could overpower me. I should run. Yeah. I need to run, now.

_**You can do this. Think. His attacks are barbaric. Can you trick him?**_

The voice was right. I produced some wooden planks, and made two two-block towers, one built closer to me. I then whipped out my sword. The sudden movement must have made something in this slab of meat snap, because he charged at me with his pickaxe in both hands. I started towards the nearest tower. The aggressor prepared another vertical slice. I pushed off the wood, and then jumped to the second one. I kicked off that one as well, and my sword was leveled with his chest. He ran right into it, the blade driving itself straight through him.

Well, he's dead. I don't know what to say really.

_**Barbarian. Take his effects.**_

_You know what? You're right voice. That attack was uncalled for. Humans are awful._

I began to sift through his belongings, looting some minor goodies from the corpse. Leather, iron, coal, and those sorts.

_**It's survival of the fittest, it seems. The strongest survive, there is no time for the weak.**_

_Indeed, but that guy was most definitely not weak. I bet he wouldn't even need a pickaxe to mine._

_**Muscles aren't everything. Bulk is… tacky. You, Serra, have strength as well as intricate and refined expertise. Skill is just as essential.**_

_Mmm, you're right. Did you see how laughably wild his attacks were? Goodness!_

_**Oh, I know, I know.**_

… _Say, how am I even conversing with you?_

_**As I stated before, I am the relics of your past. Something that happened then, foggy in your mind, screaming at you to remember them. I am a collection of those memories, and I have been screaming since you awakened. I am you, from your past.**_

_That's… interesting… Do you have any idea why I can't remember all of you?_

_**No. **_

… _Is that it?_

_**Yes. All we can do is wait and hope that, in time, you will realize who we are.**_

_Yes, you… you're right…_

The man didn't poof away like the other animals. This scene… it's so gruesome and morbid. Just seeing it… It's like, "I did that… I'm sorry..." Yet it looks so, so familiar.

Why is that?

I don't know. Everything is all so confusing, I… *sigh*… But… Maybe I shouldn't dwell on the past. Maybe I should make my future instead of fulfilling it, divine my own destiny.

… Yes. Yes, that's what I'll do! There must be a reason I awoke with no memory, and this must be it. Perhaps… I was given a second chance?

I can't think. I mean, I can't answer those questions. And I don't want to. I'm not going to writhe in anger conjuring various theories about my past. That will only slow me down. Oh, this is going to be so, so fantastic! I can see it now: living in the lush woods, free of the pain of amnesia, just because I _ignored_ it. I just need to look forward…

Forward… Make my own future… That sounds oh so nice… But it won't be as easy as "poof." It'll take time for me to heal from the mental wounds my lost memory inflicted upon me. But I'll wait. I'll wait and write my own story.


End file.
